Occupational accidents in the construction industry of Israel

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Abstract

Pines, A., Halfon, S.T. and Prior, R., 1987. Occupational accidents in the construction industry of Israel. Journal of Occupational Accidents, 9: 225–243.

The long-term trends and current occupational accident statistics in the Israeli construction industry have been analysed. It has been found that occupational accident incidence and severity rates decreased little, if at all, during the last decades, and at present head the list of enonomic branches ranked by the degree of work accident risk. Almost all those injured were males; the proportion of older workers was higher than in other economic branches. The proportion of commuting accidents to total occupational accidents was half the national average. The most prevalent accident causes were falls, falling objects and collisions with foreign bodies. Most injuries were contusions and wounds damaging mainly upper limbs, although less often than in other economy branches; whereas foot, trunk, head and neck injuries were more frequent in construction workers. Among recommended preventive actions, such as implementation of safety measures, professional and safety education of workers, etc., increasing insurance premiums for building contractors with unsatisfactory safety ratings seems to be a promising incentive for the improvement in work safety. The main areas of further research are outlined.

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    Based in part on a presentation at the International Congress for Occupational Health in the Building Industry, 13–16 October 1985, Haifa, Israel.

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